Monday, October 28, 2013

Review: By Any Means 1x06

Original Air date Oct. 27, 2013

That. Was. An Intense. Finale.

Earlier this week I’d read an interview with Elliot Knight
about this week’s episode. He said it was intense and darker than the
rest of the season, but I didn't believe him. I mean how intense could it be, really? Oh I
was but a sweet summer child. Afterward the episode I had to get up,
walk around, make some tea and just sit for a second. I tried to write, couldn't. I tried to start a different show. Couldn't. Now I think I can finally get on with it (melodramatic much? amirite?!)

To set this up we have drug dealer and violent sociopath
Jamie Cain. He is always able to get out of convictions for lack of evidence or because
no one is willing to testify. He has just been released from prison after witness tampering and now has plans to release a
new drug onto the streets. It’s a deadly
drug aimed at teenagers and children. He’s a bad bad man. Helen wants to call in Jack, but she’s waved
off with a flimsy excuse of red tape.
She goes to Jack anyway. Get
Cain, but this time there is absolutely no safety net. If anything goes wrong they’re all done
for. Jack and the team accept their
mission and set out to find when and where the new drug shipment is coming
in. They aim to catch him
red-handed.

Charlie discovers he has a personal connection to this
particular case. He recognizes Cain’s
girlfriend, Robin Tyler, as the little sister of an ex-girlfriend. She is only seventeen. Jack convinces Charlie to approach her with
the intentions of using her as a mole. If
they can put Cain behind bars then they can get her away from him. With trepidation Charlie finally agrees as long as Jack can promise Robin's safety. Everything goes wrong. Cain brutally murders Robin and beats Charlie
within an inch of his life.

The team is finished.
Helen is finished and Jack and his team dissolved. They disobeyed direct orders and a teenager is dead now because of them. Jack, Jess and Tom Tom can't walk away just yet. They're going to finish the job for Charlie. The team uncovers Cain’s informant within the police department and raid the drug delivery. That’s when Jack
and Cain come face to face. Jack has a decision
to make. Take him to the cops and roll the dice
on whether or not they’re able to secure a conviction this time. There’s not much evidence and there are no
witnesses. Charlie might not make it and
if he does Cain will see to it he retracts any statement he makes. Or? Jack can stop Cain for good this time. In one
of the most intense moments of the series Jack repeats his mantra “It’s a grey
area.” The screen fades to black and collectively we all hold our breathe as we
listen for a single gunshot.

There's a saying... well really its more like screenwriting 101, but if you introduce a gun into a story it has to go off. At point or another someone has to pull the trigger. Jack has pulled his gun at least twice every episode, and I don't think he's ever had to pull the trigger (feel free to correct me on this). Subconsciously, I think that tension has built up over the past season because of it. We've all been waiting for him to finally pull the trigger. This was the moment and at least for me, I think it added so much to the tension in the final scene.

I still haven’t heard word of a second series. If this is the end, than this is a bloody fantastic way to do it with
a bang (sorry couldn't help myself). The
team doesn't know if Charlie is going to live. We don’t know if the team is disbanded for
good and there's no telling what is going to happen
to Jack now. This was just a great episode.
If all the episodes had been up to these standards than… well I really
wish this show had 12 episodes.

Favorite bits from the episode:

Getting a glimpse into the team’s “normal” days. The days where they’re catching bail jumpers
with creative schemes. Whether it be
showing up for a date or to collect a fake inheritance. The guy in the beginning was such a douchebag that I threw up victory arms when Charlie and Jack slid into the booth and I yelled like I was a sporting event at “oooh
small print. It’s a killer.”

Discovering just how deep Jess’s violent streak runs. Charlie trying to convince her that you have
to “warm up” like a traffic light goes from red-amber-green for things such as
these. These, being hanging a man over
the side his apartment building (and then leaving him there).

Tom Tom laughing at his own jokes. CrackAir with a drug trolley, “We take you higher”.

Jess: "This poor man, he’s trying to threaten you. At least
have the common decency to hear him out”

Jack [to drug dealer] : "Sorry. Go on."

Drug Dealer: "wuh?"

Jack: "*sigh* Mr. Cain will be very angr- *Jess smacks him* what I'm trying to help him."

The fight scene between Jack and Cain. That entire scene with Jack and
Cain. I've watched it a thousand times
and it never stops being crazy intense. You could just see Jack visibly shaking with rage. Then Cain’s face as he comes to the
realization of who he's standing across from.
“You are a cop? Aren’t ya?” Warren Brown I salute you sir.

In conclusion: It had the laughs and then it punched you in the gut with everything it had. Show?I applaud you. Also award for best use of a show’s title in an episode
goes to this episode right here.